2 bucket system

[Beetnik]

Two buckets? Only one needed..

Book it in for a service once a year and it comes back clean.

[Petey80]

Some good responses.

For those that don't wash the car above and beyond a bucket and sponge, what are you like with other areas such as maintenance and general checks? Not having a go, just wondering.

Serviced and MOT'd once a year and that's it? Any issues found are fixed at that point?

Do you check tyres, water and oil on a regular basis?

[wimorrison]

what are you trying to suggest? that because we don't follow the fad for cleaning car paintwork in the meticulous manners descibed that we ignore maintenance?

Absolutely no connection or correlation between the two, in fact it is highly likely that those who don't fastidiously shine the cars have better maintained vehicles as they are focussing on what is important for car maintainence.

I have seen cars that have 'immaculate' paintwork, carpets and seats that are death traps as the owner didn't do the basic safety checks, similarly I have seen perfect cars with perfect maintainence.

I have also seen immaculate cars owned by people whose houses I wouldnt enter for fear of catching some disease, and 'immaculate' cars parked in driveways with grass 3' long.

All a shiny car says it that the owner like a shiny car.

[Petey80]

Originally Posted by wimorrison

what are you trying to suggest? that because we don't follow the fad for cleaning car paintwork in the meticulous manners descibed that we ignore maintenance?

Nothing at all, honest, was just a general wonder. Some people, I know not all, that don't take care of their cars in one way, tend not to in others.

Originally Posted by wimorrison

Absolutely no connection or correlation between the two, in fact it is highly likely that those who don't fastidiously shine the cars have better maintained vehicles as they are focussing on what is important for car maintainence.

True, true.

Originally Posted by wimorrison

I have seen cars that have 'immaculate' paintwork, carpets and seats that are death traps as the owner didn't do the basic safety checks, similarly I have seen perfect cars with perfect maintainence.

I have also seen immaculate cars owned by people whose houses I wouldnt enter for fear of catching some disease, and 'immaculate' cars parked in driveways with grass 3' long.

All a shiny car says it that the owner like a shiny car.

That's fair enough. Didn't mean to cause offence to anyone. Being an enthusiast forum, I do think we all take care of our cars as best we can.

I just have friends that don't wash, don't check fluids or anything, just leave it all until the service or MOT is due. Just noticed last night that a friends car has severe wear on the outside edge of his tyres. That information fell on deaf ears.

[Grimble]

Originally Posted by Munro83

Ouch- can I have your reg plate so I can avoid buying it in the future when the paint work is faded and neglected ��

I think you would be more interested in the fact it will be 8years old, will have a likely mileage of 180k or so and the service history when I come to sell it.

Last V70 I sold had 177k, paintwork was excellent, despite 2 or 3 automatic washes a year (whether it needed it or not).

Exterior longevity has come a long way from the days of old rust buckets, whether they were washed or not.

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by Petey80

Some good responses.

For those that don't wash the car above and beyond a bucket and sponge, what are you like with other areas such as maintenance and general checks? Not having a go, just wondering.

Serviced and MOT'd once a year and that's it? Any issues found are fixed at that point?

Do you check tyres, water and oil on a regular basis?

Tyres checked to the point that it makes my wife paranoid, it goes with being a truck driver required to drive a different vehicle each day and a serious mistrust of some of my colleagues, any vehicle I walk up to I'm checking the tyres as soon as I can see them. That also extends to checking lights, oil water, brakes etc etc, if you do it a lot you can get it down to a routine which takes very little time.

But equally the not being fastidious about washing it probably comes from the same root, I'm not going to get worked up about washing and polishing a truck I may not see again this year, and with a Volvo with peeling laquer I can't get too worried about the look of the car either.

I'm sure I commented on a thread in the past about a rare Volvo, that while I might dream of owning and driving a special car I know that I wouldn't give it the attention it would merit in the polish department, so I'll leave them to those with the time and inclination to preserve them and stick with a tatty but reliable banger. (off to FRF next week for some genuine track rod ends for a 19 year old car)